Saginaw man who fired gun at crowd of teens gets prison time

SAGINAW, MI – A 58-year-old Saginaw man is going to prison for firing a gun at a crowd of teenagers.

Saginaw County Circuit Judge Janet M. Boes on Tuesday, March 12, sentenced Ricky L. Riley to two concurrent terms of 18 months to 10 years in prison. Boes also sentenced Riley to a flat two years to be served consecutively.

Boes gave Riley credit for 212 days already served, which is only applied to the two-year sentence.

Riley in February pleaded guilty to single counts of felony firearm, carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, and felon in possession of a firearm. Felony firearm comes with a mandatory minimum two-year sentence.

In exchange for Riley’s pleas, prosecutors dismissed a second count of felony firearm and a life offense of assault with intent to murder.

The night of Aug. 12, Michigan State Police troopers responded to the area of North 10th and Farwell streets for a shooting in progress. Nearing the scene, troopers spotted Riley on North Eighth Street and saw him drop a pistol to the ground, Special 1st Lt. David Kaiser previously told MLive.

Troopers detained Riley, who lives a few blocks away in the 1000 block of North Fifth Avenue, and recovered the pistol, Kaiser has said.

Troopers interviewed witnesses, who said Riley stood in the street and repeatedly fired a pistol at a group of young people. The youths identified Riley as the person who had opened fire on them.

Police found several spent shell casings at the scene and arrested Riley.

When he was arraigned three days later, Riley asserted he had fired in the air and said a teen had “come at” him.